Custom Fibreglass Quarter Panels

FtoSam · Post by **FtoSam** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 10:59 am

OKay, what i want to do is fabricate new quarter panels.. as one of my front ones is fairly dented and i've always wanted a vent below the indicator... would look hot.... I've done fibreglassing repairs to my front bar before but im a quick learner...
A few things i'm concerned with:
- Legality.... Is fibreglass legal for quarter panels??? with it interfere with the "Crumple Zone"??
- Strength... Is there any sort of pressure placed on quarter panels??? If so will the fibreglass be able to withstand it?
- Moulding?... I think i'd have to make a mould of the old ones(Got no prob dstroyin em) Id presume with some sort of setting foam???...
- Left and Right.... I'd have to make both sides almost identical.... would be fidly but i think i would do it...

Now things im think i'll need to do this:
-Patience (Got plenty)
-Time (PLenty once again)
-Fibre glass matting, resin, catalyst, etc
-Moulding stuff??? help???
-Sandpaper
-drill, etc

Im just after some help with sorting this out.. PLease correct me anyone who has done a similair thing before...im new to any fibreglassing on this scale. as well as trying to replicate a metal panel..... so i'm expecting to be completely wrong here... help me out and maybe if i get the mould right i can make a few....

Nacho · Post by **Nacho** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 1:26 pm

My suggestion is get some advice from a panel beater, or even their assistance. Let us know how you go though coz that could possibly pave the way for all of us getting wide body kits........hehehe

It sounds like a big job though. Good luck!

shue · Post by **shue** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 2:55 pm

is that what your trying to make?

u'll need to make the vent on the original panel and then make a mould for fibre glass. u can get a panel shop to make the vents on the normal one and then make a mould up . hey u could sell them for a bunch too.

akuma3 · Post by **akuma3** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:53 pm

shue wrote:is that what your trying to make?

u'll need to make the vent on the original panel and then make a mould for fibre glass. u can get a panel shop to make the vents on the normal one and then make a mould up . hey u could sell them for a bunch too.

where is the light indicator go?

Post by **Bennoz** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 9:33 pm

Thats a pommy car, so god knows.... different rules over there

FtoSam · Post by **FtoSam** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:29 am

I was thinking bit smaller and down further

Similar but not quite... still leave room for indicator... excuse the MS Paint.... Im at work...

shue · Post by **shue** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:57 am

im pretty sure u'll get defected if u dont have a indicator like the car i showed u. but im not sure about the legalities of having them made outta fibreglass.

FtoSam · Post by **FtoSam** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 1:31 pm

Well the indicator will stay....

u'll need to make the vent on the original panel and then make a mould for fibre glass. u can get a panel shop to make the vents on the normal one and then make a mould up . hey u could sell them for a bunch too.

Couldn't i just make a fibreglass replica then modify it??? i'd feel comfortable working on it myself.... if i would need to get the panel vent made anyway i might as well just get that done and be done with it....

khunjeng · Post by **khunjeng** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:49 am

if your making a custom pannel...design in a custom side indicator to suit...I mean its not a big deal and u have the flexability to choose any style u like.

FtoSam · Post by **FtoSam** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 9:03 am

khunjeng Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 11:49 pm Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

if your making a custom pannel...design in a custom side indicator to suit...I mean its not a big deal and u have the flexability to choose any style u like.

Yeh I was thinking that... get a clear indicator... maybe off a civic or something...[/quote]

khunjeng · Post by **khunjeng** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 9:13 am

I see a lot of potential for a really cool side indicator...

TimmyD · Post by **TimmyD** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 9:33 am

this is really cool to do, although how legal will it be?

Because in an accident i can see this just snapping in 2.

khunjeng · Post by **khunjeng** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:25 pm

TimmyD wrote:this is really cool to do, although how legal will it be?

Because in an accident i can see this just snapping in 2.

hehehe legal shmeagle..its all about style

not saftey or the rules... hehe

the panel if in metal or not is not going to protect u much in a major accident I guess...dunno.

EURO · Post by **EURO** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 3:59 pm

you can have fibreglass front bumpers, so would quarter panels make any difference?

khunjeng · Post by **khunjeng** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 5:58 pm

EURO wrote:you can have fibreglass front bumpers, so would quarter panels make any difference?

come to think of it I was at my paint guys house yesterday and he just finished a fiat all fiberglass car....Corvettes are fibreglass...so yeah big deal..

Nacho · Post by **Nacho** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:38 am

Carbon fibre is more expensive but the safer option simply coz it's stronger and will not flex as much as fibreglass.

mr-charisma · Post by **mr-charisma** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 11:36 am

Did you ever get around to looking into this? pricing, viability etc?
It's going to be big on my list once I have my performance mods done... Intake, extractors, cat, exhaust.. which i'm hoping to have done soon..

Post by **BorepYano** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 2:53 pm

u'll have to fukc around a lot with it
but u can make a mould of the original panel from anything, plaster would be the easiest that i can think of, or even easier.... just cover up the panel with brown packing tape (acts as the release agent), then fibreglass 1 thin layer over the top of it and you should have a perfect mould now.

and u can either just build on this one layer or if u r anal then u can get some proper mould release gel and use it as a mould.
anyways, when you do exterior panels (i.e. panels that might get hit a little bit or might take a bit of stress) use slightly less resin than the suggested fibreglass:resin ratio... and once u have made the panel you can find a cheap plastic stick on vents etc... that u can buy on ebay and i think possibly from places like autobarn and stuff, and cut holes in the panel u just made and stick that in, or actually replicate it with fibreglass and then stick it in. and of course fibreglass it in so it wont fall out. then a final layer of fibreglass from behind.

of course this panel you just made will be about 1 or 2 mm larger than the original, but you'll have to sit there for days sanding it back to a perfectly smooth surface anyway, which means you'll end up sanding most of the first layer off anyway

and when u r sanding, one of them viberating finishing sanders would be the way to go, but whatever you do, dont use anything rougher than 60 grit, in fact unless you have hugely uneven surfaces, dont even use 60 grit. (cos it might rip little holes in the surface if u stuff up, then it's a lot of messing around to fix that)

u'll eventually need to sand it down to basically how you want it to look with the paint on (i.e. perfectly smooth, and almost reflective, this is where 400grit wet and dry by hand comes in lol)

after that... i'm lost, i assume u'll have to under coat it, which unless you have a proper spray gun i suggest u get someone else to do it (cos if u screw up then there's another couple of days of work to strip that back lol)

oh wait.... i missed something lol, if there are any metal mountings or what not then you'll have to cut that out of the original and glue/fibreglass them to the panel u've made of course.

and you'll need full protective gear as in covered from head to toe (pretty easy for your sam, only have to cover a total height of 4 foot nothing

lol), masks goggles, good gloves - the works. and a pretty large space thats will ventilated and under cover (i.e. i'm working on the glove box still right now, and so far i've taken over all of that space under cover at the back of the house, u've been here hopefully u'll know where i'm talking about)

hope that helps

Post by **BorepYano** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 3:09 pm

hopefully, this kind of thing will be something i can do soon

the progression list:

learn how to fibreglass on paper - DONE
learn first hand how bad fibreglass is for you - DONE
make a direct copy of something small - DONE
make inteiror panels - Doing this now (i'll do a few more before i move on)
make small mods to interior panels - Doing this now (i'll do a few more before i move on)
realise that I've somehow managed to put strands of Fibreglass on the inside of my "protective" gloves - Happened yesterday, leasson well learnt, now i wear 2 layers of gloves (and always wear new ones)
replace door interior and exterior with Fibreglass and CF - Have to do this before Umm... gets his sizzors door kit done
custom make/heavily mod body kit
custom make CF wing
CF boot
CF other exterior panels + mod them
CF bonnet

mr-charisma · Post by **mr-charisma** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 3:40 pm

cool... I have been thinking.. and I don't want to go with fibreglass for it.. am going to look into carbon fibre, or metal fabrication...

Thinking that I can possibly even keep the stock panel, cut into it, insert carbon fibre /fibreglass vent.. blend & paint ... & maybe get some extra metal welded on for support, just in case.. then it shouldn't be any problem getting them both the same shape & size ...

I have so many mod ideas running through my head at the moment & its so frustrating not being able to do them all...